Aleocharini

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Introduction

The tribe Aleocharini includes a diverse assemblage of aleocharine staphylinids arranged into 3 subtribes, 16 genera, and over 460 species. The various members of the tribe display a diverse set of biological attributes. Members of the subtribe Aleocharina, particularly the genus Aleochara, are known to be ectoparasitic on fly puparia as larvae, though the biology of most other genera in the subtribe has not been investigated. Members of the subtribe Compactopediina are inquilines in the nests of termites (Kistner 1970b, 1982). Members of the single genus and species in the subtribe Hodoxenina are inquilines in the nest of the termite Microhodotermes viator (Hodotermitidae) (Kistner 1970a).

Members of the tribe Aleocharini are found in all zoogeographic regions and on all continents except Antarctica. Members of the subtribe Aleocharina are worldwide in distribution; the Compactopedina are found in the Oriental region; and the Hodoxenina are known only from South Africa.

Characteristics

The Aleocharini are characterized by the presence of 5-5-5 segmented tarsi and a pseudosegment on the last segment of the maxillary and labial palpi, so that the maxillary and labial palpi appear to be 5-articled and 4-articled respectively (Lohse 1974, Seevers 1978).

Seevers (1978) also noted that the velum of the parameres is reticulated, but this feature has not been examined for most taxa, and its generality among all members of the tribe is not known. The Aleocharini share this latter feature (as well as a pseudosegment on the last maxillary segment) with at least some members of the tribe Hoplandriini. Fenyes (1920-21) included several genera with 2- or 3-articled labial palpi in the tribe Aleocharini, but most of these genera have subsequently been moved to other tribes, though Piochardia (subtribe Aleocharini) with supposedly 3-articled labial palpi (Fenyes 1920-21) is still included in the tribe.

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

The monophyly of the Aleocharini is not well established. Due to the shared characteristics discussed in the previous section, it is possible that this tribe may be paraphyletic in relation to the Hoplandriini.

The monophyly of the subtribe Aleocharina and the phylogenetic relationships among the 3 subtribes of the Aleocharini have not been investigated. However, it appears that the subtribe Aleocharina is based exclusively on plesiomorphic characteristics in comparison to the other subtribes.

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